Under cupboard lights

[si-mate]

HI guys,
I want to put under cupboard fluorescent strips in our new kitchen. Firstly I am not sure how many to use.
I have on one wall an 800mm wall unit, then a run of 2200mm then 1100mm and a gap of 800mm (for the extractor) and another unit of 900mm.
I was thinking of using 5x 494mm strips. Would this be enough or too much?

Secondly the connecting cables come in only 1m lengths and I need 3m to get up and over the extractor. Can these be joined together?

 

[Steve]

Firstly, forget about those girly link-a-lite sets. They take odd-sized lamps (494mm??????) and obviously you will always have too much or not enough cable (as you've already described).

I would go down B&Q and get 5 x 2 ft standard fluorescent lamps. Wire them yourself, it will be cheaper. Get some 1.5mm² flex while you're there, and a fused connection unit to power them. Alternatively, try an electrical wholesalers, that will be even cheaper.

AFAIK, this work is notifiable.

 

[Spark123]

afaict the girly link lights are non-notifiable if plugged in, the other option is notifiable though.

 

[Steve]

afaict the girly link lights are non-notifiable if plugged in, the other option is notifiable though.

Would you want that? In YOUR kitchen?

 

[Spark123]

No, not very, I did mine before December 2004 . The plug together jobbys do look awful, but at the end of the day afaict they are exempt from building notification. The fixed wired ones which look a lot tidier are notifiable.

 

[si-mate]

I think I would rather use the linkable lights because they are non notifiable. Once the strip under the cupboard is fitted they are virtually invisible anyway.
Bringing it back to the original questions, am I right in thinking 5x 500m strips is about enough and can I join the cables?

Thanks!

 

[Spark123]

The amount of light depends on a lot of factors, the best thing to do is to get a couple and have a play.
With the plug in ones you may plug them together using pre-fabricated leads with plug and socket connections, usually something like a figure of 8 shape plug. Modifying the linking leads will mean they are no longer non-notifiable, can you not buy the linking leads in different lengths anyway??